Chocolate Rice Pudding

Serves 4

This perfect comfort food is a wonderful winter dessert that's easy and quick to make before your guests arrive and leave on the counter till dessert time.

Ingredients

2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces dark chocolate (80 percent cacao preferred), broken into small pieces

1. Pour the milk, sugar, and pinch of salt into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Add the rice and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the milk is absorbed (if the mixture becomes sticky, add a bit more milk to keep the rice creamy). Stir in the vanilla.

2. Pour the rice pudding into 4 ramekins and using a spoon, insert the chocolate pieces in the middle of each mold and push them into the rice. Leave at room temperature. The chocolate will slowly melt and mix with the pudding. Let your guests play with the way they want to eat it: mix the whole thing together or start by eating the rice laced with melted chocolate and the chocolate center separately -- a matter of taste and mood and a tough decision.